Japanese Media: Iran's Missile Performance is Continuously Improving

According to a report by Reference News on July 23, the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported on July 21 that U.S. soldiers were killed in an attack by Iran on an air force base in Jordan. After a comprehensive analysis of information released by Iranian officials and media reports, Yomiuri Shimbun found that the weapons used in the attack could be identified as two types of ballistic missiles. This highlights that Iran is continuously improving its missile capabilities.

The report states that since the U.S. military began a series of attacks on the 12th of this month, Iran has been retaliating against the U.S. military base in Jordan. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has listed key targets for strikes, including missile depots, fighter jets, drones, and aerial refueling aircraft.

On the 18th, the IRGC's Sepah News published videos of four waves of attacks, including the operation against Jordan on the 17th, and reported that four types of ballistic missiles and suicide drones were used in the operations. Among them, two types of missiles have ranges of approximately 700 kilometers and 200 kilometers, classified as short-range missiles, which are expected to be unable to reach the Jordan base. The drones fly at a speed of about 280 kilometers per hour, making them easy to intercept. Therefore, it is highly likely that the missiles used in this attack were the "Castle Destroyer" (range of 1450 kilometers) or the "Haj Qasem" (range of 1400 kilometers) ballistic missiles.

Iran views missiles as a core pillar of national defense and has consistently refused to include missile issues in negotiations with the U.S. However, it is reported that during the attacks on Israel in April and October 2024, the majority of the missiles and drones launched by Iran were intercepted. Iran has taken this opportunity to focus on targeted improvements in missile accuracy and guidance capabilities. Reports indicate that the "Castle Destroyer" and its derivative models are equipped with guidance technology specifically designed to evade Israeli air defense systems.

The "Haj Qasem" missile has an upgraded version called "Qasem Basir." This model is said to be designed to counter the U.S. military's THAAD missile defense system, Patriot surface-to-air missiles, and Israel's Arrow missile defense system used for high-altitude interception, significantly enhancing its anti-interception and evasion capabilities. Additionally, Iran announced in 2023 that its hypersonic missile, the "Conqueror," has also been deployed in actual combat.

According to The Wall Street Journal, before the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes, Iran possessed approximately 2,500 missiles. U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper emphasized at the end of March that more than two-thirds of the military facilities producing Iranian-made missiles and drones have been destroyed, effectively "depriving them of the ability to rebuild (their arsenal)."

However, many mysteries remain regarding Iran's missile capabilities, such as the underground "missile cities" and large-scale production technologies. Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, an advisor to the IRGC commander, expressed confidence in the restoration of capabilities during an interview in April, stating, "The missiles we will launch (in the future) will be produced in May 2026. It may take two years to account for these quantities." (Translated by Chen Rui)